Guide
What to wear, and the one rule that overrides all of it.
White and light earth tones photograph beautifully in this light. But if your family already has a colour it wears for photographs, wear it — this is your session.
The rule above the rules
I am not going to rain on your parade.
If your family has done every reunion photograph in the same colour for fifteen years, keep doing it. If you bought something specific for this, wear it. These are your photographs, not a styling exercise, and a family that feels like itself photographs better than a colour-matched family that does not.
The advice below is for everyone who asks "what should we wear?" — which is close to everyone.
If you want a recommendation
What actually works in Hawaii light.
- 01
White and light earth tones
The default recommendation, and what most people end up choosing. They hold detail in bright light, they sit beautifully against water and greenery, and they read as warm rather than washed out in my grade.
- 02
Coordinate loosely, do not match exactly
Pick a palette and let everyone land somewhere inside it. Six people in identical outfits reads as a uniform; six people in five shades of sand reads as a family.
- 03
Fabric that moves
Linen, cotton, anything with a bit of flow. Wind is part of the photograph here — a dress that catches the trades gives you frames that a stiff fabric never will.
- 04
Think about the sand
You will be barefoot, in shallow water, and possibly sitting down. Anything you would be upset to get wet or sandy is the wrong choice, not because of me but because you will hold back.
- 05
Small patterns are the one to watch
Tight patterns compete with the background and pull the eye off faces. Bold and simple is fine; busy and small is the thing that dates a photograph.
Colour, if you want colour
A whole family in one strong colour also works.
Coordinated blue across an extended family holds together beautifully, and it is a completely valid alternative to the white-and-neutral default. The principle is the same: one palette, loosely held.
If you are unsure, send me a photo of what you are thinking. I would rather answer that question a week out than have you worrying about it on the beach.
Frequently asked
Wardrobe questions
White and light earth tones. They hold detail in bright light, they do not fight the water and greenery behind you, and they photograph well across a whole family in a way that patterns rarely do.
No. Coordinate loosely within a palette rather than matching exactly. And if your family already has a colour it always wears for photos, wear it. This is your session, not mine.
What it looks like
White, linen, and light earth tones.
Next step
Tell me where you are staying.
I will come back with a beach, a time and the reason for both — usually inside the hour.